Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer in Doha

Image source, Getty Images

The Football Association would like Gareth Southgate to serve every day of the contract that takes him to December 2024 but ultimately the decision rests with him. Will he feel a three-tournament span is enough? Will he want another crack at club management?

He was keeping his counsel as he told BBC Sport: "These tournaments take a lot out of you and I need a bit of time to reflect. We've done that after every tournament and I think that's the right thing to do."

Once again, England and Southgate will be reflecting on what might have been, as a very good chance to win the World Cup slipped agonisingly through their clutches.

Roy Sandbach: Won group against Championship level teams. Beat Senegal without their two best players. Lost to France, without Benzema, Kante, Pogba, Nkunku & Kimpembe. A good side, but needs freedom & be better managed in-match. Time for Gareth Southgate to go, I’m afraid.

Rob Green
Former England goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Getty Images

The feeling of pain that everyone has will give them that push to think 'yeah, lets go for the Euros'.

I don't know what some players will be thinking, or the manager. There are some people in there who need to call it a day at some point, but there is enough in this England side to say we can carry on being in the latter stages of major tournaments.

This is the last World Cup of greats moving on - Messi, Ronaldo, it would have been Benzema's last. It is time for others and we've shown we can compete.

Carter: Not making any subs until the 80th minute in a must-win game killed us. As for James Maddison, I feel sorry for him.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer in Doha

Harry Kane's tearful expression revealed what a cruel game this can be; his was the face of a man shouldering the responsibility after giving England so much.

The old question will be asked as to why England cannot force their way past elite opposition at major tournaments. But on this occasion, at least, there can be no complaints about the approach.

England were impressive against Iran, Wales and Senegal but drab against the USA. Their 13 goals came from eight different players. It was their highest number at a World Cup.

Sadly, other statistics do not make as comfortable reading.

England have been knocked out of the World Cup quarter-finals seven times, more than any other country. Kane's penalty record for his country is not perfect - 17 conversions from 21. What he and England would have given for that to read 18.

BBC Sport pundits Martin Keown and Jermaine Jenas, both former England internationals, say Gareth Southgate "100%" should continue in the job.

"We played with belief and we are only 18 months away from the Euros. This group will stay together and build," former Arsenal defender Keown added.

Ex-Newcastle midfielder Jenas said: "I don't see any regrets, we grew into the competition and today was that coming-of-age game.

"In terms of performance of the manager and the players, I have no qualms."

Read more here.

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Thomas Hoiles: Despite the loss, it has been so pleasing to see the response by the fans to it. The ability of this team to unite a pretty divided country at the moment is an achievement in itself, and it’s fair to say that their time and opportunity will certainly come.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer in Doha

Image source, Getty Images

England manager Gareth Southgate and his players nursed a familiar sense of missed opportunity as that elusive major tournament triumph escaped them once more.

Watching the post-match scene at the Al Bayt Stadium brought flashbacks - to the World Cup semi-final defeat against Croatia in Moscow in 2018, to the European Championship final loss to Italy at Wembley 16 months ago.

Amid the pain of their latest defeat, Southgate offered consolation to devastated England players who inspired hope, only to see potential glory wrenched from their grasp.

A 2-1 World Cup quarter-final loss to holders France, here in Qatar, was a brutal outcome. England's display deserved at least to drag the game into extra time.

Perhaps this is why it felt different, even more painful, for England this time. A genuine opportunity to win this World Cup had opened up for Southgate's team, an emerging blend of youth and experience.

James Palin: When asked on whether he felt Harry Kane’s penalty was a missed opportunity, Gareth Southgate replied "we win or lose as a team". I couldn't think of a better way to put it, or a better man to take this team forward. Gareth simply has to stay. Our time will come, eventually.

Rob Green
Former England goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Getty Images

Football hurts sometimes. We had a really good side, building to something that could have been special and it was there. France were rocking at one point, it was fine margins. If they go your way, you're looking at a semi final and a really good chance.

[On Kane's penalty miss] If Lloris had gone the wrong way again, diving to his left and Kane gone to his right, everyone would have turned and looked and looked at him. You see the replay and he went with such effort to his right.

We can bang on about the referee, it was a bizarre performance that shouldn't happen but it did. In the second half from Olivier Giroud, the volley, and you cannot switch off like that. It only takes a fraction of a second and that is the difference. From the top of the stand, you saw the space open up in the defence, Griezmann with time and your heart sank. That is international football. We got punished.

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football reporter in Qatar

It remains to be seen what Gareth Southgate chooses to do but the performance on the whole, you can definitely take positives from.

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Anthony Jayasekera: Anyone who follows football even semi regularly will know that the best team does not always win. Usually bad luck or poor refereeing decisions are the reasons. England suffered from both last night. It would be a travesty to blame Gareth. Keep going lads!!!

England

England Euro 2022 winner and the queen of the jungle has spoken...

Michael: It’s Catch 22. The longer England go without winning the World Cup the bigger the prospect of winning it becomes and therefore the bigger the pressure we put on ourselves and the harder it is to win. If we’d won it five times like Brazil there would be no pressure.

England

Whistlin Bob: We'll have the usual nonsense on here, but I'm proud of the way that England played. Overall I thought we were the better team against very good competition, and also on the wrong side of some dreadful decisions. France were too good to call it a robbery. We will come again.

Jurgen Klinsmann
Former Germany head coach

It was a very even game, from the beginning you had the feeling that both sides were trying to neutralise each other all over the field and in one-against-one situations. Look at Kyle Walker, neutralising Mbappe, but on the other side, Kyle Walker couldn't go any further than halfway line, pretty much. Then the other side with Dembele and Shaw, you kind of meet each other in the middle, you take the the opponent's strength out, but your own strength also is not coming into play.

Because Shaw and Walker are also known for going forward and create something. So it was a game with very, very few chances. And then very little pieces then decided this match, in a certain way dramatically, because Harry's missed penalty, you start the discussion if it was a wise idea that he takes the second one after scoring the first one beautifully. Or should he have just stepped to the side and let another teammate take the second penalty against his teammate, Lloris.

These are all little things that I think will make fans crazy discussing it over the next couple of days. But those other very small margins that decide that a World Cup knockout game, which as we discussed came a bit too early with such a clash between France and England, it should have been a semi-final.